American Airlines mechanic accused of trying to sabotage plane

Friday

An American Airlines mechanic has been arrested after he allegedly tried to sabotage a plane.

Federal authorities say Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani admitted to tampering with the jet's air data module, which provides pilots with crucial information such as the plane's speed.

Alani reportedly inserted a piece of foam in the module's inlet, using super glue to keep it in place, CNN reports.

He told investigators he wasn't trying to hurt or kill anyone, but instead was hoping to score some overtime when the plane was inevitably taken offline for repairs.

Pilots on a flight from Miami to the Bahamas aborted takeoff after getting an error message related to the module, CNN says. There were 150 people aboard; no one was injured.

Surveillance video helped identify Alani as the culprit.

American Airlines provided CNN with this written statement: "At American we have an unwavering commitment to the safety and security of our customers and team members and we are taking this matter very seriously. At the time of the incident, the aircraft was taken out of service, maintenance was performed and after a inspection to ensure it was safe the aircraft was returned to service. American immediately notified federal law enforcement who took over the investigation with our full cooperation."